Travel firms in Ho Chi Minh City last year made more money from local tourists than it did from foreign visitors, the Saigon Times reported.

The news website said it compiled data from three groups of 10 tourism companies topping revenues in inbound tours, outbound tours and local tours.

The 10 leading companies in organizing tours for foreign visitors to Vietnam reported earnings of VND2.63 trillion (US$125.8 million). A total of 633,300 foreigners used their services last year.

The companies in the outbound tour list had 40 percent higher earnings in comparison at VND3.66 trillion ($175.1), although outbound tours are thought to be less profitable than inbound ones. About 280,400 Vietnamese customers paid for the tours.

Vietravel, named in all three groups, made VND1.78 trillion from local customers going on overseas tours, 17 times higher than its earnings from inbound tours for foreigners.

Vietnam's leading travel company, Saigontourist, earned VND407 billion from serving international visitors coming into the country, just 23 percent of its total earnings from the three revenue sources.